Talking machine



E. N. WATERWORTH 1,781,617

TALKING MACHINE Nov. 11, 1930.

Filed Dec. 15. 1927- Patented Nov. 11, 1930 ERIC NEWHAM WATERWORTH,

OF WEST HOBART, AUSTRALIA rsnxnre uscnmn Application filed December 15, 1927, Serial No. 240,279, and in Australia February 11, 1927.

This invention relates to talking machines of the type adaptedto play a number-of records without requiring the attention of the operator.

II In a previous specification forming a part of my copending application Serial No. 131,046 filed August 23, 1926, such a machine is described and in which a number of rec ords each group of which may be of varying diameters, is supported peripherally on a single inclined and rotatable platform and centrally on a stepped post, the records being released successively therefrom on to the machine turntable.

In the said application a principal lever is described that is made to oscillate from the machine motor to actuate the tonearm lifting means, to move the'arm laterally in either direction and to control the record releasing means and to lower the tonearm over a new record.

I also disclosed inmy prior application means for setting the mechanisms to operate with either ten or twelve inch groups of records and to make provision for adapting the machine to repeat any record or a number of such as desired.

Now the present invention is designed in order that the platform for supporting a number of records can be set to carry a group of records of a certain diameter and in so setting the platform to adjust and adapt other mechanisms to oo-ordinate in the machine.-

Another object of the invention is to simpli- 95 fy the means for moving, through the oscillatory principal lever, the tonearm laterally in either direction.

A further object is the provision of means for adapting the machine to repeat each record once in a selfacting way from the start ing knob. This member which is rotatable in either direction is so designed that it can be set to any selected number upon its periphery to play records either once or twice and at the same time to switch in the mechanisms to start the machine and to set stopping means to-operate only when the last record has been completed. It may, further, be set to repeat a single record any number of times. 50 In the accompanying drawings- Fig. 1 shows in of the parts and Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the connections with the inclining spindle on which is the platform, not shown, for supporting a number of records.

Referring first to the record supporting platform, this construction is substantially similar to that described in the specification of my above identified copending application. A number of records are supported on the platform 87 and the central bent and stepped post and each lowest member of a grou is successively'released by a cam 88 as thep atform is rotated by its spindle 91 as the ever, 97 is actuated by the oscillating principal lever 52.

In the present invention, the lower end of the spindle 91 is in a plate 94 that is provided with peripheral slots 95 set diametrically apart. In one of these a pin 96 on the lever 97 engages. Loosely connected to the plate 94 is a rod 117 that is attached at its other end to a bell crank 80 pivotally mounted on the principal lever 52. Also attached to the other arm of the bell crank is a rod 79 the other end of which is connected to a movable stop 77 pivotally mounted at the other end of the principal lever. The movable stop is shaped irregularly, the two ch'lef 39 faces or edges of the plate being adapted to bear on other mechanisms to set same to operate with either ten or twelve inch records. In the position in Fig. 1 the curved edge 118 is setfor operating with ten inch records 5 while the edge 119 when moved into the position occupied by 118will serve wlth records of a larger diameter. The are of each curve is concentric with the pivot. If a number of ten inch records are to be placed on the platform, same is first raised sufliciently to clear the plate 97 from the pin 96 and it is then' turned 180 deg. to permit the pin to enter the opposite slot. This action willleave the platform as shown in Fig. 1 to recelve a supply of ten inch records: and as th s operation is efiected the setting means is actuated, through the bell crank 80 to set the tonearm plan view the disposition actuating mechanism which will now be described.

The tonearm is pivotally mounted on its base and attached to the arm is a plate 120 that swings with the arm. The plate has two upstanding studs one, 121, at the upper left hand corner and another, 122, at the lower right'corner. A spring 123 secured on the machine baseplate exerts a light pressure to assist the movement inwards of the tonearm towards the commencement of the sound groove. Pivoted on the end of the principal lever 52 is the irregular shaped cam plate 124 on the lower side of which is a shoulder 125 against which the plate 77 can impinge. The upper edge of plate 124 is boomerang shaped as shown.

The tonearm lifting gear is the same as in my former application, in that to the tonearm base is connected an outwardly projecting rod 65 that rests on the runway 64 that is in a frame 60 on a spindle 61. Also on the spindle 61 is a spindle carrying the wheel 59 against which a camplate 58, on the principal lever, bears. As the lever oscillates, when the playing of a record finishes, the impingement of the plate 58 on the wheel 59 cants the frame and runway up or down according to the direction in which the principal lever moves. As the principal lever moves outwards the camplate 58 bears against the wheel 59 to cause the runway and tonearm to be lifted. The edge of the plate 124 comes against stud 122 to push the tonearm and attached plate 120 outwards. On the return of the principal or oscillatory lever the edge 126 of the plate '124 strikes stud 121 to draw the tonearm inwards until the stylus thereon is over the commencement of the sound groove of a new record or the same record, bein played twice. Owing to the contour of the oomerang shaped plate 124 its shoulder will pass the stud 121 and come to the position shown for operating a ten inch record. If the setting plate 77 and platform 87 is set for records of larger diameter the plate 124 will have been lowered sufliciently to carry the. plate 120 and tonearm a shorter distance before the tension spring on plate 124 reacts to cause the plate to resume its normal position, thus ensuring that the stylus will be over the commencement of the sound groove in a record of larger diameter.

The stopping means is as described in the specification of my application filed at the same time as this specification except that the plate or quadrant 33 is provided with say nine notches in which the pawl 24 on the rocking plate 20 can engage. The plate 33 is connected to a cam 127 on the spindle of the setting knob 31 through a rod 32 and resting against the cam 127 at the opposite side is a stud on a pivoted bar 128. The dial of the setting knob is provided-with two sets of numbers and a zero point one set in sequence of a number of records to be played once each, when the setting knob is turned in one direction. The other set is in alternate numbers in sequence, the dial being turned in the opposite direction with respect to the arrow on the cover plate to indicate that each record will be played twice.

When the dial is set say, to play the third record as shown in Fig. 1 the plate 33 is brought to a position where the stud 39 on lever 35 rests over the third notch in the plate and the stopping mechanism will operate in the manner already explained in my copending application. If, however, the dial be turned to bring the other set of numbers opposite the arrow the cam will rock the lever 128 to cant the lever 104 through one half its normal travel.

Attached to the principal lever is a rod 98 as in my copending application hereinbefore identified, which is adapted at a certain position of the principal lever to contact with a T-shaped lever 100 drawing it with it. Pawl 101 is on lever 101 pivoted on the T-lever and engages a pin on the platform turning lever 97. The lever 104 having been moved through half its travel and having carried with it the downwardly depending stud 103 the latter is now in the path of the tip 108 on lever 101 which as it moves with the lever 100 carries the pin over the tip 111 of the latch 109. While this has been taking place a new record has been lowered and on the return of the lever 100 and the lever 101 the extremity 106 brushes against-the pin 103 while in the latch thus levering itself (101) in a clockwise direction and disengaging pawl 101 from pin on lever 97. Meanwhile, the turned down end of lever 104 rests against extremity 1140f pawl lever 24 which avoids the pawl moving into a notch in plate 33. At the next movement of lever 100 lever 101 being disengaged from lever 97 moves awa leaving the record platform stationarv. n the extremity of its travel the tip 107 of lever 101 strikes the upturned end 112 of latch pawl 109 rocking it to free it from thepin 103 which pin with lever 104 resumes its previous position against the end of lever 128. The levers 100 and 101 then return -.to normal and pawl 101 again engages pin on lever 97. 'Another record will be released on the next stroke of the various levers The operation of setting for rotated as to bring the star opposite the arrow, the notched plate or quadrant will be I moved to such a osition relatively to the pawl 24 that the atter when operated will have no further notch to engage. Such a position will be selected when a single record is required to be repeated several times. To stop further playing in this instance the machine motor will be stopped by turning the setting dial to zero.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a multi-disk phonograph, an inclined rotary platform for supportlng records of varying diameters, a spindle supporting said platform, a tone arm, a lever for imparting movement to the tone arm, a movable stop upon the lever at one end, a crank element at the other end of said lever, operative connection between the stop and crankelement, a lever connected to the crank element, a plate upon the spindle having spaced notches in its periphery, and an element upon the lever engageable in the notches in the plate selectively in the adjustment of the plate for the purposes described.

2. In a multi-disk phonograph, an inclined rotary platform for supporting recordsfof varying diameters, a tone arm, a lever, a crank element on one end of the lever for connection to a fixed part of the phonograph, a stop plate having an irregular margin, the said stop plate being mounted on one end of said lever, operative ponnection between-the crank element and the stop plate, a plate movable with the tone arm, a stud upon said plate, a plate pivotally mounted on the end of the said lever and coacting with the stop plate in one position of movement of the lever to control the movement of the tone arm.

3. In a multi-disk talkin machine, a tone arm having a base, astud ed plate on said base, a lever pivotally mounted in juxtaposition to the tone arm base, a crank element on one end of the lever, record supporting means having operative connection with the crank element, a stop plate having a margin of irregular contour and pivotally mounted near the other end of the lever, operative connection between the last mentioned plate and the crank element, a plate also pivotally mounted on the last mentioned end of the lever and having a curvilinear margin, a tension spring connected between the lever and the last mentioned plate and yieldably holding the plate in one position of its pivotal movement, means for lifting and swinging the tone arm, and means upon the stop plate 7 coacting with the plate of irregular marginal outline for adjusting said latter plate with respect to the stud upon the first mentioned plate.

In testimony whcrcef I attest my s1gnature.

Elsie Netti-Lame WATERWGR HK. 

